Method and apparatus for transferring continuously running thread to a spool



y 8, 1962 A. GENOVESE 3,033,479

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TRANSFERRING CONTINUOUSLY RUNNING THREAD TO A SPOOL 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 51, 1959 INVENTOR JQnZ/wny gyelzoz/ese BY \Znm. F100 ATTORNEY VESE 3,033,479 NSFERRING CONTINUOUSLY A SPOOL L. GENO ETHOD AND APPA S FOR TRA RUNNING THREAD TO A RATU May 8, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 31, 1959 49 171 22 4ek0vese BY \Kn 1k (I). i-koc/zs ATTORNEY May 8, 1962 A. GENOVESE 3,033,479

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TRANSFERRING CONTINUOUSLY RUNNING THREAD TO A SPOOL Filed Aug. 31, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR F Qnf/Iony gym/ w BY \demkbl l'uoeks ATTORNEY 3,033,479 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TRANSFER- RING CONTINUOUSLY RUNNHNG THREAD TO A SPOOL Anthony L. Genovese, Odenton, Md, assignor, by mcsne assignments, to National Plastic Products Company, Inc., a corporation of Maryland Filed Aug. 31, 1959, Ser. No. 837,045 8 Claims. (Cl. 242-54) The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for transferring continuously running thread to a spool, and more particularly to such a method and apparatus that will permit the transferring of continuously extruded filaments from a dummy roll to the spool of a windup machine.

Many fabrics are now woven from synthetic threads or fibers. A widely used apparatus for production of the basic thread or filament is an extrusion machine which serves to convert the material from its bulk supply form, such as small globules, into the threaded form. In a typical setup, the thread is stretched soon after it is extruded and is thus oriented which in effect stretches the thread to its elastic limit. After the thread or monofilament is oriented it is wound on suitable spools, cops or bobbins, to thus form a package, i.e., the spool, bobbin or cop with the thread wound thereon.

As a matter of practice, there is provided between the orienting equipment and the windup equipment a dummy roll upon which the monofilament may be wound until an operator is ready to transfer the thread from the dummy roll to the windup equipment. The transferring of the thread to the dummy roll has been accomplished, in the past, by an operator who grasps the monofilament between the orienting equipment and the dummy roll and quickly breaks or cuts the filament; at the same time, the operator moves, usually at a run, so as to carry the new end of the monofilament to a spool on the windup machine. It will be understood that the windup machine has a large number of driven spools thereon, these spools rotating on axes that extend transversely of the direction of movement of the thread. The operator secures the end of the monofilament which he is carrying to the desired one of the spools, and the transfer is thereby completed.

The speed at which the operator is able to move from the dummy roll to the windup equipment has been the critically limiting speed in the entire extrusion and Windup manufacturing operation. This is because the monofilaments are processed or extruded at a uniform foot speed. Therefore, the operator may not move so fast that he will cause an excess tension in the monofilament, thus causing it to break, nor may be move so slowly that the monofilament will sag, for if a serious sag does occur it is very likely that the thread being transferred will become entangled with threads previously set up on the spools of the windup machine. As will be understood, this will not only result in a failure to transfer the thread but will also ruin the partially completed packages previously put up on the winding apparatus resulting in excessive manufacturing scrap.

Due to the above factors, the commercial production of such synthetic fibers or threads as Saran, nylon, polypropylene and linear polyethylene, has been limited primarily to diameters of approximately six mils and above. This is because the extruder machines must run at substantially a constant speed, and it is not possible, from a practical point of view, to adjust the speed of the extruder machine so as to slow it down for the benefit of the operator during the thread transfer operation and then speed it up. Since each machine has a predeteratent mined capacity, measured in pounds per unit of time, it will be seen that a particular machine can produce either a relatively small number of relatively large diameter filaments or alternatively, with another extrusion head in place, may produce a larger number of small diameter filaments. The end result in either case will be, as will be understood, a constant poundage output per unit of time. But the filament diameter has in the past been primarily dictated, as discussed above, by the necessity of reconciling extrusion rates with the ability of the operators to transfer the extruded filament from the dummy roll to the windup machine, and so the provision of an extruder head having an even greater number of thread holes of smaller thread diameter was only limited by the operator factor above mentioned.

The abilities and skills of the operator are carefully developed to a practical maximum at which it is possible for a highly skilled operator to transfer thread that is running at a foot speed of 400 feet per minutes with few occurrences of thread breakage or thread saggingso much as to become wound upon a spool other than that intended, In practice, this particular foot speed has to a certain extent limited thread quality, because the machine that extrudes the thread has at times been provisionally adjusted to attempt to produce a smaller diameter thread. However, the adjustments of the extruding machine have not met with success because of the deterioration in the quality of the product when the extruding machine is run at a speed other than optimum.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for accomplishing the manufacture of small synthetic fibers on a commercially practical basis.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a method that will enable the commercial production of small synthetic filaments with a minimum of equipment, and without modification to existing equipment.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a method of transferring thread that is continuously running, which method obviates the need for highly skilled operators. i Y 5 A further object of the present invention is the provision of a method of transferring thread that will permit greater flexibility of extruder operation with consequent improvement of quality of the extruded thread.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a hand-held, portable device for winding thread while subjecting the thread to an optimum and/or predetermined tension.

Still another object of the present invention is the pro vision of such a Winding device that is extremely economical and that requires only a small number of inexpensive parts.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a powered winding device that is readily controlled as to speed and that may not be accidentally given a higher speed or torque than is desired.

Other objects and the nature and advantages of the present invention Will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. =1 is a schematic view illustrating the process of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a Winding device which forms an apparatus in accordance with the present invention and which is used in performing the method of the present invention.

FIGS. 3 to 6 show the manner in which the device of FIG. 2 begins to wind a thread upon itself.

FIG. 7 illustrates the positioning of a thread on a spool of a winding machine.

FIG. 8 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the device of FIG. 2.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged end view of the device shown in FIG. 8 and looking in the direction of the arrows on the line 9'-9.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on the line 10-1tl of FIG. 8.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to designate like or corersponding parts throughout the several views, there is shown in FIG. 1 a plastic extrusion machine 20 which extrudes from the nozzle 21 thereof a thread 22, which may be either a monofilament or a group of filaments. It will be understood that in practice the extrusion machine 20 will extrude a multiplicity of such filaments 22, but that only one filament is shown for purposes of simplicity. The thread 22 is caused to pass through a quenching bath 23 and thence to pass through the orienting apparatus 24. The windup equipment 26 is provided for winding the thread 22, and generally comprises the frame 27 which carries a plurality of spools 2S. Spools 28 are carried on driven spindles and are arranged in banks, one bank on either side of the machine andas may be seen the axes of the spools are transverse to the direction of travel of the thread 22. Between the windup equipment 26 and the orienting apparatus 24 there is provided a dummy roll 25, and it will be understood that the windup equi ment 26 is placed as close as possible-to the dummy roll 25; nevertheless, the more remote spools 28 are some ten feet from the dummy roll 25.

With the extrusion machine 24} in operation the thread 22 will issue from the orienting apparatus 24 in a continuous manner and at a substantially constant and predetermined speed. The thread 22 will be taken up on the dummy roll 25 as a temporary expedient in order to allow the operator leeway in putting up the thread onto the Windup equipment 26. The operators hand is indicated at H, between the orienting apparatus 24 and the dummy roll 25 and may be seen to carry a transfer device 30. There may also be seen the alternate position of the operators hand H and the device 30 when the thread has been broken between apparatus 24 and dummy roll 25 and the end of the thread carried by the device 30 to one of the spools 28 and the thread 22 secured thereon.

Referring now to FIG. 2 there may be seen the threading device 30 carried in the hand H of an operator. The device 30 comprises a housing 31 with a rotatable spindle 32 extending therefrom. Fixed to the spindle 32 is a finger 33 which extends fromthe base of the spindle 32 and in generally parallel relationship thereto. The end 33A of finger 33 diverges from the surface of spindle 32. A thread guide 34, in the form of an open eyelet with a supporting stem, all made as a unitary piece, is carried by the housing 31 and is positioned beside spindle 32. In the position of the parts shown in FIG. 2, the thread 22 has been caught in the usual manner in guide 34 and the device 30 has been moved forwardly (or towards the viewer) so as to permit the thread 22 to enter between the diverging end 33A of finger 33 and the surface of spindle 32.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 to 6 there are shown the steps in utilizing the device 30' to break the thread 22 with the device 30. In FIG. 3, the thread 22 may be seen to be traveling from right to left and to pass through the guide 34 and beneath the spindle 32, it being recalled that FIG. 3 is a showing of the apparatus as one would face the operator, and is on the opposite side of the equipment from the side shown in FIG. 1. The spindle 32 is stationary at this time. When the device 30 is put into operation and spindle 32 rotated, and the entire device 30 advanced somewhat towards the viewer, the finger 33 will rotate with spindle 32 and will engage thread 22 so as to wedge it between the surface of spindle 32 and finger 33 and will cause a tension in the part of thread 22 between finger 33 and the dummy roll 25. As the dummy roll is operating in the opposite direction to spindle 32, the thread 22 will break, and as shown in FIG. 5, the tail 22T of the thread 22 will separate from the oncoming thread 22 which will begin to be wrapped about spindle 32. The initial wrapping of thread 22 about spindle 32 is also shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 6 shows the continued reeling of the thread 22, oncoming at a constant rate from the extrusion machine 25) and orienting apparatus 24, about the spindle 33 of the device The spindle 32 of device 30 remains in operation at a substantially constant speed, and it will be understood that the speed and torque thereof are regulated so that they do not exceed a maximum beyond which breakage of thread 22 Would occur. With the spindle thus rotating the operator holding the device 30 may with ease carry the device 39, Winding up the thread 22 thereon, to the vicinity of the spool 28 upon which it is desired to thread the filament 22 and there move the device 3!} in a generally circular path about the axis of the spindle of the particular spool 28. By moving his hand axially of the spool 28, the thread 22 may be caused to cross over and thus to begin to be wound upon the spool 28, at which time that thread extending between spool 28 and the device 3i may be broken. When this has been accomplished the thread 22 will be at the initial stages of being wound upon the spool 28. Where spools 28 are provided with starting fingers 38, as shown in FIG. 7, the manipulation of device 30 may be accomplished so as to engage the thread 22 thereon. It will be course be understood that the thread 22 is not usually extended directly to a spool 28, but is caused to pass through all necessary guiding devices, such as eyelets, whether movable or fixed. The transferring of the thread 22 from the dummy roll 25 onto a spindle 28, as above described, may be accomplished by a person who is much less highly skilled than the person required to put up a thread by hand. The operator using a device 30 need not worry about the speed at which he transports the device 30 since the device 30 will not permit the creation of such a high tension in thread 22 that it will be broken nor will the device 30 permit the thread 22 to sag between it and the orienting apparatus 24 to thus become engaged in another of the spool 28. By usingthe method above described, a relatively unskilled operator is able to transfer thread and to put it up on a winding machine even when the thread is running from the orienting apparatus 24 at a rate more than double the rate (foot speed) that was possible with the most highly skilled operators using the old method. This double speed is accomplished, it may be noted, with filaments of two, three and four mils, which obviously have a greatly reduced tensile strength.

The device 34) comprises an air motor 40 of known type, and readily available on the market. Such air motors are well known, and the details thereof form no part of the present invention. Air motor 40 has an air supply hose 41 connected to it, which hose 41 extends from a pressure regulator 42 which is connected With a suitable source 43 of air under pressure. The motor 40 has a shaft 44 extending therefrom, as is clearly shown in FIG. 8.

Shaft 44 has an axial bore 45, and the free end thereof is threaded, has a reduced diameter and longitudinally extending slits. These slits form the flexible segmental fingers 46, and as has been noted, these fingers 46 are exteriorily threaded. A nut 47 is in screw-threaded engagement with the segments 46, and serves to clamp these segments about a stud St to thereby hold stud 50 firmly in the bore 45.

Stud 50 extends through an axial bore 51 in the spindle 32 and a nut 52 is threaded thereon to secure the spindle 32 on the stud 50', the nut 52 clamping spindle 32 between it and the flange 53 on stud 50. Spindle 32 has a cavity 54 therein, and it is through this cavity that the nut 52 may be introduced and be threaded upon the stud 50.

Spindle 32 has at the base thereof a flange 55 which is provided with a radial bore 56 having a set screw 57 therein. The set screw 57 serves to secure the finger 33 is an axially extending hole 58 in the flange 55. Guide 34 is shown in phantom lines in FIG. 8, and it will be understood that the stem thereof is secured in an axially extending bore of housing 31.

Housing 31 is secured to the air motor 40 by any convenient means, and extends in surrounding relationship to the shaft 44, the stud 50 and the flange 55 which is at the base of and forms a part of the spindle 32. Housing 31 has an opening 60 therein adjacent shaft 44. A leaf spring 61 is secured to the housing, as by rivets 62, and overlies the opening 60. As may be seen in FIG. 10, a flexible band 63, as of canvas or the like, extends in a U-shaped configuration beneath the shaft 44 and in engagement therewith. The ends of the band 63 are clamped between the upper surface of the end portion of leaf spring 61 and the lower surface of a clamping block 64, screws 65 being used to secure these parts together.

In FIG. 9, there may be seen the guide 34 secured in the forward part of the housing 31 and positioned in adjacent spaced relationship to the spindle 32. There may also be seen in FIG. 9 the finger 33 having the end part 33A thereof diverging from the surface of spindle 32 to provide a wedge-shaped opening therebetween.

In operation, the device 30 is connected with a suitable source of supply 43 through the pressure regulator 42 by means of the hose 41. By adjustment of pressure regulator 42, the maximum speed and torque of the air motor 40 may be readily established, and without danger of accidental changing thereof by the operator using the device 30. A thread is caught in the thread guide 34 in known manner, and the device 30 is then positioned so that the thread passes obliquely across the outside surface of spindle 32 and forwardly of the end 33A of finger 33. When it is desired to wind the thread on spindle 32, the device 30 is moved so that the finger 33A catches the threads between it and the outer surface of spindle 32, at the same time that spindle 32, carrying finger 33, is caused to rotate by depressing the leaf spring 61. This will release the band 63, which is a brake band, from engagement with the shaft 44 and thus the air motor 40 will be permitted to rotate, under the influence of the compressed air supply to it, to thereby rotate the shaft 44, stud 50 and spindle 32.

There has been provided a thread winding device that is readily portable and is made from a few inexpensive parts. This device permits the catching and breaking of a continuously running thread and the subsequent winding up of the thread on the spindle of the device without danger of over-tensioning the thread so as to cause it to break. This device is readily controlled as to the speed and torque at which it will operate and may not be given, accidentally, a higher speed or torque than is desired.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and therefore the invention is not limited to what is shown in the drawings and described in the specification but only as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. The method of storing a continuously moving thread having a substantially uniform rate of travel from between a source of supply and a dummy roll and transporting it to a continuously rotating, remote storage spool, comprising the steps of disposing at an intermediate portion of the continuously moving thread and between said source of supply and dummy roll manually supported means for winding and breaking said thread, breaking and winding said thread from a broken end in a direction opposing the direction of rotation of said dummy roll and winding it on said manually supported means and continuing to wind said thread on said manually supported means at a rate of speed to obviate deformation of the thread as it is continuously moved and simultaneously, physically transporting said manually supported means to said remote storage spool, and securing the thread to said manually supporting spool and breaking the thread between said manually supporting means and said storage spool whereby the continuously moving thread will be wound on said storage spool.

2. The method of claim 1; and manually controlling the rate of speed at which said continuously moving thread is wound on said manually supported means to maintain the tension or slaok on said thread between optimum limits.

3. A hand tool for breaking and winding a continuously produced thread thereon comprising a housing, power means on said housing, a thread receiving spindle on the terminal end of said housing and connected to said power means for rotating said spindle about its longitudinal axis, said spindle including an exposed terminal portion thereon for engaging a portion of thread to anchor the thread thereon and to facilitate winding of said thread around said spindle, and manually controlled operating means on said housing including portions engageable with said spindle for controlling the rate of speed of said spindle, said spindle portion including a rod-like finger rotatable therewith and disposed laterally of the outer surface of said spindle and providing a space therebetween for receiving an intermediate portion of thread therethrough, said housing including a longitudinally projecting thread guide fixed on said housing in spaced radial relation from the outer surface of said spindle portion and said rod-like finger, said thread guide including a transverse, terminally-open guide loop opening toward the longitudinal axis of said spindle and in substantial alignment therewith whereby a continuously produced thread passing through said guide loop will angularly engage the outer surface of said spindle and be engaged and broken by said rod-like finger moving in intersecting relation to a plane passing through the longitudinal axes of said guide and spindle.

4. The structure of claim 3; said finger including a terminal end portion diverging in arcuate relationship to the outer surface of said spindle.

5. The structure of claim 3; said manually controlled operating means comprising a friction brake operatively connected to said spindle and normally preventing rotation of the same, and friction brake operating means accessible at the exterior of said housing for progressively releasing said friction brake.

6. The structure of claim 3; said power means including a shaft extending axially of said housing, said spindle being detachably secured to said shaft and projecting from one end of said housing.

7. The structure of claim 3; said power means including a fluid pressure driven motor including a flexible supply hose connected thereto and projecting from said housing at the end opposite that from which said finger and thread guide extend.

8. A hand tool for winding a continuous thread thereon comprising a housing, power means on said housing, a thread receiving spindle on the terminal end of said housing and connected to said power means for rotating said spindle about its longitudinal axis, said spindle including an exposed portion thereon for engaging a portion of thread to anchor the thread thereon and to facilitate winding of said thread around said spindle, and manually controlled operating means on said housing including portions engageable with said spindle for controlling the rate of speed of said spindle, said exposed spindle portion including a rod-like finger rotatable therewith and disposed laterally of the outer surface thereof and providing a space therebetween for receiving an intermediate portion of thread therethrough, said housing including a longitudinally projecting thread guide fixed on said housing in spaced radial relation from the outer surface of said spindle portion and said rod-like finger whereby said finger is movable in intersecting relationship with a plane passing through said guide and the longitudinal axes of said spindle and said guide, said power means including a shaft extending axially of said housing, said spindle being detachably secured to said shaft and projecting from one end of said housing, said manually controlled operating means including a friction brake having a flexible band circumposed about a fragmentary portion of said shaft, said housing including a lateral opening through which said flexible band projects, a longitudinally projecting leaf spring mounted on said housing and including a terminal end portion normally disposed in spaced relationship from the outer surface of said housing and overlying said opening, and an operator element secured to said flexible band and said leaf spring at said opening whereby 8 depression of said operator element will permit said shaft to rotate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 41,494 Dougherty Feb. 9, 1864 1,995,221 Peel et a1 Mar. 19, 1935 2,135,831 Nilson Nov. 8, 1938 2,541,876 Lockwood Feb. 13, 1951 2,673,039 Groucher Mar. 23, 1954 2,692,093 Teng'esdal Oct. 19, 1954 2,706,090 Blok Apr. 12, 1955 2,858,087 Giaimo et al Oct. 28, 1958 2,896,875 Reed et a1 July 28, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,145,710 France May 13, 1952 554,838 Italy Jan. 16, 1957 

